Lily and James Potter's story
by Skye Evans
Summary: This is my story of Lily and James, before Harry. It begins five years before they go to Hogwarts.


Lily woke up early on a Saturday morning to a very strange sound. It was loud pop that came from her driveway. She quickly got out of bed and ran to her window to see what was happening outside. She clumsily climbed onto the window seat and peered out the window. In her driveway, was a rather odd looking man. He was short and slightly stout with a short gray beard. It wasn't his size or facial hair that shocked the six year old girl, however. It was his clothes, a long to-the-floor cloak and a pointed hat, both the same emerald color as Lily's eyes. Lily looked across the room to where her 7 year old sister lay, still sleeping. "Tunia," Lily whispered barely audible. "Come see." Lily ran over to her sister, Petunia's bed, and shook her awake. "Come see, Tunia. There is this strange man in our driveway."

"Lily, can't you let me sleep? It's a Saturday!" Petunia moaned.

"Tunia, there is this little man in our driveway. He looks confused, like he stumbled here on accident. Come see, he's wearing a cloak. Don't you think that a bit odd for June weather?" Lily tried to pull Petunia from her bed but it was a futile attempt. Lily skipped back over to the window and watched the strange little man. He had pulled out a stick from his cloak and was waving it around in the air while muttering something under his breath. It fascinated Lily but also scared her. Who was this odd man and what was he doing in her driveway? Then Lily barely had time to realize what was happening when the little old man disappeared into thin air with the same loud pop. This time Petunia heard it too for she walked over to where Lily sat on the window seat.

"Lily, didn't you say there was a man outside? Where'd he go and what was that noise? Are you pulling a prank on me?"

"No Tunia. I dunno where he went but he was just... there and then he disappeared, right before my very eyes. The popping sound happened just as he vanished." Lily then whispered in a spellbound voice, "It was almost like, like … magic."

This would not be the last time that Lily would experience magic.

**Two years later**

"Mummyyyyy," the ten year old Petunia whined to her mother. "Lily's doing something weird again."

"What is it, Tunia?" The cheerful Mrs. Claire Evans asked her eldest daughter.

"I don't know, Mummy, its hard to explain exactly. She's using her fingers to make the buds on your rose bush bloom, sort of. Just come see for yourself."

Outside in the Evans' garden, the beautiful redheaded Lily stood, now nine years old, in front of her mother's roses. What she was trying to do exactly was hard to see. She waved her right hand in front of the rose bush. The flower buds would bloom just as her hand flourished over them. Then Lily took her left hand and gestured over the roses again and the roses became buds again.

"Lily," Claire's smile quickly faded to a frown. "What are you doing?"

"I'm making the flowers grow and then ungrow," Lily stated as though this was something one saw everyday.

"I see that, sweetie, but how are you doing that?" Claire asked as politely as she could, fear and intrigue threatening to take over her voice.

"Ummm, I don't know. I was just thinking how pretty the roses would look when they finally bloomed and I waved my hand over them and they bloomed. Aren't they pretty?" Lily said as she waved her right hand over the rose bush, making the roses bloom again.

"Well, okay, honey. Why don't you come inside? I made some cookies." Claire spoke, attempting to get Lily away from the strange rose bush.

"That's ok, Mum. I don't feel too hungry right now. I want to see if the bush will change colors if I want it to."

"No, Lily, you are coming inside," Claire's voice becoming suddenly stern as well as horrified. "We are going to forget this ever happened. Lily, and you as well Petunia, are not to go near that rose bush for a while now, until I figure out what is wrong with it. Understand?"

"Yes, Mum," Petunia immediately responded, glad that she had gotten her way and that Lily was in trouble.

"But Mummy-," Lily cried, but was quickly cut off by her mother.

"No, Lily Elisabeth Evans, you are not allowed to go anywhere near that rose bush. Now off to your room, both of you. I'll bring up some cookies in a minute."

Lily ran upstairs to her and Petunia's bedroom. She pushed passed Petunia on the stairs and muttered "Thanks a lot," sarcastically under her breath. Lily collapsed on her bed and began to cry. Just as Petunia got to the door of their room, it slammed shut, by itself, in her face. Lily looked up astonished as neither she, nor anyone else had closed that door. She had just been hoping that the door would shut in Petunia's face but she knew that wouldn't happen because doors couldn't close her own. And then it shut, all by itself.

Lily marveled at this strange occurrence until she heard Petunia scream.

"Mummy!"

Lily heard her mother's rushed footsteps on the stairs. "What is it now, Petunia?" Claire opened the bedroom door, revealing to Lily her bewildered mother and Petunia, pale and tear-streaked. They both looked equally horrified.

"Well, Mum," Petunia began, glaring at Lily as she did. "Lily was sitting on her bed and when I reached the door, she was concentrating on the door real hard." Petunia demonstrated this for her mother. "And then the door slammed in my face, all by itself. Except I think Lily did it."

"Petunia, love, I think you are imagining things. The door probably just swung shut because there was nothing propped up against it. I'm sure Lily had nothing to do with it. Let's stop this overreacting and forgive each other. Ok?"Claire asked, attempting to make amends with both girls.

The three all hugged each other. Mother and daughters, sister and sister. It was calm and peaceful, but only for a little while.

Across England, in a village called Godric's Hollow, a boy Lily's age, too was discovering his powers, that he was different. But instead of being scolded out of fear, his parents praised him out of pride.

"Mum! Look at what I can do!" the black haired boy yelled, enthusiastically.

"What is it James?" his mother, a petite woman with hazel eyes and light brown hair asked.

"I'm not real sure, Mum, but its magic!" He pointed to the spoon from his tea that was hovering in the air.

"Oh, James!" his mother exclaimed. "You should be headed off to Hogwarts in only 2 years." Mrs. Potter, James' mother, was young, only around 29 or so, and had one child, James. She had powers too and used them all the time to amuse her little boy. She was glad he was finally finding his own magic. 'One day,' Olivia Potter thought, 'James will be an amazing wizard. He's really going to amount to something in a few years.'

"Mummy, I'm going to be in Gryffindor, where dwell the brave at heart," James announced, as he struck a pose. He had his hand on his hips and his chin tilted upward. He looked like a knight, without the armor. "Like you and Daddy."

Olivia chuckled, her laugh genuine. She smiled up at him. "Yes James. Like me and daddy." Olivia didn't feel very brave. She never had. Her husband was a true Gryffindor, brave, courageous and an occasional show-off. She had thought, when she was first accepted into Hogwarts, that her brains would surely land her in Ravenclaw. Gryffindor was a pleasant surprise, a surprise she still marveled at 18 years later.

"Guess who's home?" a man boomed from the doorway.

"Daddy!" James screamed and ran to his father. Mark Potter was a tall hardy man with black hair and bright blue eyes. His son looked just like him, except that James had his mother's hazel eyes. "Guess what I can do!"

James pointed at a picture frame on a shelf and it began to levitate. "James! You are little wizard! Just wait until Grammy and Papa hear about this."

"Will they be excited?" James asked his father.

"Very excited," Mark replied. He smiled at his son. "We could go see them now if you'd like. Is that good with you, Livy?" Mark asked his wife.

"I think so," Olivia responded to her husband. She looked wearily up at him. She smiled and he lovingly responded with the same gesture.

The young Potter family set off to show Marc's parents James' newly found magic.

**Two years later**

Lily, now nearly 11, was sitting on her bed, drawing, when she heard the doorbell ring. It was 3:30 in the afternoon, almost teatime, but she didn't think they had been expecting any visitors. She hopped off her bed, leaving her sketchpad behind. She twirled down the stairs, very gracefully, her long red hair flowing beautifully behind her. She stopped on the landing and watched her mother open the door. Inside walked a woman. She was tall and stern-looking with her graying black hair pulled into a bun on top of her head. She was wearing a long, satin cloak. It reminded Lily of that morning all those years ago when she had seen the strange old man. Lily still performed tricks, like she had with the rose bush, but now she performed them in private. She couldn't risk her mother or Petunia witnessing them. The woman began to speak and handed Claire Evans a letter.

"Is your husband home?" The woman spoke, her voice deep and just as stern as her appearance.

"N-no, he isn't," Claire replied. "Is something wrong?" Her voice was filled with panic.

"No, Claire, nothing is wrong. I am Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Head Mistress at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I am here to inform you that your daughter, Lily, has been accepted into our school, the finest in educating young wizards and witches."

"My daughter-Lily- is a witch?" Claire asked understanding and a new wave of concern flooding her face.

"Yes, Mrs. Evans. We would like very much to have her at our school. She has lots of potential as a witch. She is amazingly talented. Let us wait for your husband to return home-he should be home in 10 minutes- before we discuss details."

"So you-you are magic too?" Claire asked, stumbling over her words.

"Yes."

"Can you, well, prove it?"

Minerva McGonagall nodded solemnly, as though she got this all the time. She swiftly turned into a cat with markings around its eyes that looked just like the glasses that had been perched on her nose in her human form. Lily stared in disbelief and vowed to herself," One day I'll be able to do that."

The cat quickly became Minerva McGonagall again. Claire stumbled back and Petunia, who was hiding behind the living room sofa, gasped.

"Would you mind getting me a cup of tea, Mrs. Evans? The journey over hear has left me parched."

"O-of course," Claire walked backwards toward the kitchen, afraid to turn her back on this strange woman.

The meeting continued when Charles got home. Minerva McGonagall explained everything to the Evans; Hogwarts, magic, everything about their world.

After it was decided that yes, special little Lily would be going to Hogwarts on September 1. Though Charles and Claire had been terrified at first, they became very proud of their different, talented daughter.


End file.
